Obituaries

1:21 pm

Tue June 5, 2012

Herb Reed, Last Of 'The Platters,' Dies

One of the early versions of The Platters (in 1955), with Herb Reed at far left.

Frank Driggs CollectionGetty Images

"Herb Reed, the last surviving original member of 1950s vocal group the Platters who sang on hits like 'Only You' and 'The Great Pretender,' " has died at a Boston area hospice, The Associated Press reports. He was 84 and had been in declining health, according to his manager, Fred Balboni.

"I used to listen to disc jockeys refer to records as being platters," Reed said. " 'Here we're going to spin another platter by so and so. We're going to spin this platter by so and so.' And that's where I got the idea."

"The Platters were one of the top vocal groups of the Fifties, delivering smooth, stylized renditions of pop standards. Like the Ink Spots a decade earlier, they were the most popular black group of their time, achieving success in a crooning, middle-of-the-road style that put a soulful coat of uptown polish on pop-oriented, harmony-rich material."

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